Game device



May 29, 1928. 1,671,749

T. SPAULDING GAME DEVICE Filed Aug. 24, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet -1 w VE/VTO/F May 29, 1928. 1,671,749

. T. W. SPAULDING GAME DEVI C E Filed Aug/24, 1927 2 Sheets$heet 2 Patented May 29, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'rnomas w. SPAULDING, or BUFFALO, NEW YORK, AssIoNoaor ONE-lHA LF 'ro JOHN QLEHNE, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

GAME DEVICE.

Application and August 24, 1927. serial no. 215,121.

This invention relates to ame devices and particularly to the type p ayed with balls. An object of this invention is to rovide an improved game device which will e interesting to both children and adults; which may be played with or without special grounds or courts; which will give opportunity for the exercise and development of considerable individual skill; with which any number of persons may play together; and which will be relatively simple, compact, and inexpensive.

A further obj ectof the invention is to prorelatively fiat, compact package ready for use.

, Various other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description of an embodiment of the invention, and the novel features will be particularl v pointed out hereinafter in connection wit theappended claims.

, In theaccompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan of a racquet constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, sectional elevation of a part of the net device, with the section taken approximately along the line 3- 3 of net, but preferably is provided in its center Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan, partly-in section, of-a portion of the racquet, and illustrating the manner of connecting the net device to the paddle. 1

Fig. 5 is a plan of a racquet also constructed in accordance with the invention,

but illustrating another embodiment thereof; Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the same; and Fig. 7 is a plan partly in section of a p0rtion of the same. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated. in Figs. 1 to 4, the improved racquet comprises a paddle or batlO having at one end a handle 11 b which it may be grasped in a players ham and manipulated. A net device 12 is secured to the opposite end of the paddle, so as to form a continuation er side edges of the paddle, so as to prevent extension thereof in an endwise direction. While the net device may be secured to the end ofthe paddle in various ways, I preferably make the end ed e 13 of the paddle which is opposite from t e handle concavely arcuate, and provide a groove 14 (Fig.4) along this concave end ed e. The sideedges of the paddle may also e grooved lengthwise for some distance from their junction with the concave edge wall 13, so asto pro vide a groove 15 in each side edge of the paddle and extending to the concave end edge 13. A wire frame or loop 16, having a center of curvature approximately co-incident with the center of curvature of thefconcave edge 13, is disposed in the. groove 14 in the end edge 13 so as to extend endwise from the paddle in a plane approximately parallel to a face of the paddle. Arms 17 are secured to the loop in any suitable manner, such as by soldering, brazing or weldin ,and these arms extend along the side ages of the paddle from the concave edge 13, the arms fitting in the rooves 15 in the side edges and conforming c osely to the curvature of the side edges of the paddle. The ends of the arms 17 may be bent angularly to form hooks 18 which hook into recesses or cavities in the endwise movement of the arms along the grooves 1 5. The arms 17 may be confined within the grooves 15 in any suitable man ner, such asby two-pronged staples 19, the prongs of which straddle the arms andare driven into the paddle. e

The net element may comprise an ordinary with a disk or pad 20 smaller than the opening of said frame or loop. This pad 20 may be connected to the wire loop 16 in any de-' sired manner which will not offer too great an obstruction or resistance to the passage of airtherethrough, such as by well-known netting. Preferably, however, the pad 20 is 100 to the pad or disk 20, so as to radiate there- 105 from, and the free ends of the strips are looped or folded over spaced portions of the Wire frame or loo 16, and the ends then stitched to the bodies of the strips, soas to be retained on the wire 10611 16: I have 11 These stri s 21 are secured found that canvas or other heavy textile materials are satisfactory for the strips 21,

' and the pad QO may be formed of one or more layers of canvas or other fabric, or of I iOtltllOl, thin wood, or other suitable material;

The net element, however, is secured topthe wire loop 16 before the latter is attached to the paddle and therefore some of the looped ends of the strips 21 covering the portion of i the loop received in thecon'cave end edge 13 will be received in the groove 14 of that e In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. to 7, the bat or paddle is similar to the hat or pad-dle 10 of Figsl,

, the side edges of the paddle. Suitable fastening elements such as screws 23 are passed through the loops or e es 22 and into the paddle so asto secure tie arms 17 securely to the paddle. a e k The wire frame' or loop 16", howevemat theportion within the groove 14 at the con- "ave edge of the paddle, is bent or formed toprovide a prong'or spike 24 which is driven into the concave end edge of the paddle through the bottom of the'groove 14,

in order to nioreefi'ectively anchor the wire frame or loop to the paddle Thisp'rong or spike 24 is, however, driven into the padd e before the arms 17? are secured to the hpaddle. The net element 21fmay be formed as in Figs. 1 to 4,.or of asingld piece of fabric cutfrom a suitable pattern and stitched together as at 25 so as to be bowl-shaped The net element along its larger end or opening is looped over the wireloo for frame'lti so as to be su portedthere rom, and the opening 26 at t e smaller end of the bowl-shaped net element maybe closed byja disk-like base 20, as in Figs. 1 to -4, or by a base 20 formed of as'eriesof stri s V extending from different pointsof, the smal er end of the bowl across the opening 26.

These strips of baseQQ may beinterlaced together iii-any suitable manner so as to prevent the'passage of a ball through the opening 26, at; the same. time providing an spaces through which air trapped in the net elementmay pass in order that the net e'le;

ment will not encounter too great an air resistance when the racquet is manipulated ip use. The net element and the strips of base 20 thereof may be formed of canvas,

fabric, leather, or any other suitable material.

In the use of this improved game device,

eachplayer is provided with a racquet c'onnet device thereof. If the player to whom the ball is batted does not catch the ball in this mannerl it'counts a ainst him, ae-

cording to "redeterm ined va lies, and it' the ball is ca u t, it is removed for'use by the player catc in}: the same. This layernow in possession of the ball bats it either to the first player or to another pla *er, in the same mannerasdescribed tor the r st player, and this ,is continued. a I

If oneplaver alone is playing, the ball may be batted against a wall, so as to cause it to rebound and the player batting the ball is then expectedto catch it on the rebound by means of the ct device on the end of his addlet sing e player may also bat the 1;u wardly and then catch the descending bal in the net devi ce of his paddle while manipulating the paddle by means v of the handlethereof, YVhereseveral players are laying to'g'ther, a: suitable court may be ai out a ndjthe hall playedback ant fort betweemopposed players accord; ing to 'ai varl'e't "of rules, the ballv being caught in the n et device by each player. Various other usesa -nd rules for tlie useof the ga n edev'ice will sugge 't then'iselvesQ Ilurihg the use ofthis i iroved 'racquet, if the net device isiiiade relhtively shallow, the-disk oi" base 200520 will ass through the e thing of the Wire 1801) wied the rite quet lsswung, ahd the allniissed, and will take up the same posilon'onthe opposite side of the loop or wire frame forming part of the netcdelvio e. Itwillb tibs erved that the racquet may be usedt'oeatchballs coming ine'ither direction with respect to'the faces of the paddle, irrespective of which face of the paddlethe ne't element happens to be at the side of when the ball is received in the net device i If the Iiet element made deeper, then the base 20 6r 20- by inertim terids to move outwardly when the racguet ishs'wun'g in catchingfa ball; and byfstrik ing against the wire loo or 16" or passing radially outwardly beyond the loop .will pre veht passage of the net element through the opening of the wire loop or frame and will thus always stay on the same side of the paddle regardless'of ho'w' tlie' addle'is'manipulated in ioo playing. The base or disk 20also keeps the net element open, and thus facilitates the the details, which have been. herein described. and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the scope and principle of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

Iclaim as my invention i 1. A game device comprising a a paddle having at oneend a handle and a wider flat, even batting surface at the other end andan open-faced ball catchingcup device secured to the said other end of the paddle so as to form a continuation thereof and opening in a plane approximately parallel to the face of the paddle. a

2. A game device comprising a paddle having at one end a handle, and a batting face at the other end,the end edge of said otherend of the paddle having a groove extending along the same, a wire loop secured in said groove, and a net element attached to said loop. I i A i 3. A gamedevice comprising a paddle having at one end a handle, and a batting face at its other end, said paddle having a groove extending along its end edge opposite its handle, a wire loop secured in said end edge groove of the paddle to form an extension of the paddle, arms extending from the loop along and secured to the side edges of the paddle, and anet element attached to said loop. a

4. A game device comprising a paddle having at one end a handle by which it may be grasped in ones hand and manipulated, said paddle being grooved along its end edge opposite its handle and also along its sides for some distance from the grooved end edge, a frame secured in said end edge groove, arms extending from said frame and extending along and disposed in the side edge grooves, means for securing the arms in said grooves, and anet element mounted on said frame.

5. A game device comprising a paddle having at one end a handle by which it may be rasped in ones hand and. manipulated, sai. paddle being grooved along its end edge opposite its handle and also along its sides for some distance from the grooved end edge, a frame secured in said end edge groove, arms extending from said frame and extending along and disposed in the side edge grooves, said arms having angular portions preventing their endwise movement along the grooves in which they are mount- 1 ed, means for securing the arms in said grooves, and a net element mounted on said frame.

6. A game device comprising a paddle be grasped in ones hand and mani ulate a'net device disposed at the other end paddle and having arms extending along the side edges of the paddle, and means for securing said arms to said paddle.

7. A gamedevice comprising a bat having a handle at one end, a loop frame having a prong projecting into the opposite end of the bat, and arms extending from the frame and secured to said bat whereby said frame forms an extension of said bat, and a ball-receiving net element carried by said frame. W

8. A game device comprising a bat having a handle at one end, a loop frame abutting the otherend of said bat, said bat having grooves extending in directions lengthwise from the end adjacent said frame and ending flush with the surface. of the bat some distance from said frame, arms connected to saidframe, runnin in said rooves and terminating in loops lieyond t e grooves, and fastening elements passing through the loops for anchoring the arms to saidbat.

9. A game-device comprising a bathavof thehaving at one end a handle by which it may i ing a handle at one end, a loop frame havmg a prong driven into the other end edge of said bat, said bat having grooves extending n directions lengthwise from the end adjacent said frame and ending flush with the surface of the bat some distance from .dle having a handle at one end and its other end edge concave, said end edge being grooved lengthwise, a loop frame fitted in said groove and having a prong extending from the portion within the groove and driven into the paddle through the concave end edge, and a net element carried by said frame.

11. A game device comprising a flat paddle having a handle at one end and its other end edge concave, said end edge being grooved lengthwise, a loop frame fitted in said groove and having a prong extending from the portion within the groove and driven into the paddle through the concave end edge, said frame having anchorage means extending therefrom along and secured to said paddle, and a net element carried by said frame.

12. A game device comprising a fiat paddle having a handle at one end and its other end edge concave, said end edge being grooved lengthwise, a loop frame fitted in said groove and having a prong extending from the portion within the groove and ing1ther'efrom along the side edges of said 13. Agame device coniprising a flat pad dle having a handle at one end and its other end edge concave, said end edge being grooved'lengthwise, a loopframe fitted in a said groove .and having a pron", extendin from the portion Within the groove an driven into the paddle through the concave end edge, said frame having arms extend-. ingutherefrom' along the side edges of said paddle, the side edges of the paddle being grooved lengthwise for some distance from the concave end edge to receive and confine saidarms means securing the ends of said arms' to the paddle. 1'4; A game device comprising a paddl having a handle atone end and a batting face at the other end, a wire strip, bent into a loop with its adjacent ends bent laterally and outwardly of the. loop anddriven as a prong into the end edge of said othen end, arms secured to spaced pointsot said loop and extending along and secured to said other end, and means carried by said loop forming an open-faced ball receiving cup.

-15. A game device comprising a paddle having a handle at one end and a Wider batting face at the other end, a closed ring disposed at said other end to form a .con-

tinuation of said paddle, arms extending from spaced points of said ring, along and secured to said other end of the paddle to anchor said ring" to saidppaddle, and means carried by said ringand forming anuopen- V faced ball'receiving'cup; 1.

I l e 16. A game device comprising-when,bat

having-a handlei atonev end and a batting surface at the other end, .and ahopen-faced;

ball'receiving flexible basket secured to. and

face and project to either side thereof when the bat is swung and them-stopped suddenly; or wliena ball strikes said basket whileni pi preaching its rojecting; face, whereby a ball.

maybe caught in said basket from either face thereof. a

17. A gamegdevice comprisingia ball bat having a handle at one end-and flat batting. surfaces on both opposite facesof theflotherv end, an open frame attached to and forming? an extension of said other end. Witlithe opening of the frame approximatelyparal:

lel to the batting surfaees, a flexible net iblei to automatically pass; through said frame and extend from either face thereof;

when the bat is swungandth'en stopiped suddenly or a ball'strikes said element while. approaching its rejecting face, whereby.

either face of sai bat and basket-may be used for batting or catchiig a ball. I THOMAS W.v AULDING. 

